March 2016 Newsletter

loading...

Greetings from Chef Jacques

Spring officially arrived on Sunday, March 20! Our two on-site organic gardens have already been tilled and seeds planted for the many vegetables and herbs that you’ll see on all of our menus. The spinach and sorrel are ready to harvest, with many more to follow! Spring also brings morel mushrooms, asparagus, lettuces and greens; all of which inspire our team to create the most healthful and flavorful dishes. Bon appétit!

Looking ahead to April, L’Auberge Chez François is celebrating our 40th Anniversary. Forty years ago, my papa closed Chez Francois in Washington D.C. and moved his restaurant to the “Virginia countryside”, hence L’Auberge Chez Francois! We have a full schedule of special events planned to celebrate this milestone. More details on our special celebratory anniversary events, cooking demonstrations, and grand anniversary dinner featuring Taittinger champagnes are listed/linked below. Come celebrate with our family! Thanks for your patronage, support and friendship through the years!

Chef Jacques and our sommelier Alex Bardsley invite you on Thursday, March 31st at 6:30pm for a MASI wine dinner. This special event will feature wines from Italy and Argentina. The name Masi comes from “Vaio dei Masi,” the little valley purchased by the Boscaini family in the late 18th Century. Tony Apostolakos, US Director of Sales and Marketing for Masi Agricola will guide us as we sip and taste our way through this evening’s menu degustation and wine pairings.

Join Chef Jacques Haeringer and Karen Dee, Cheese Monger & Specialist at International Gourmet Foods, on Saturday, April 9th at 11:00am. You will enjoy a Cheese Lovers Cooking Demo and Luncheon not to be missed! Savor local, imported and Grand French artisanal cheeses incorporated into some of Chef Jacques’ favorite recipes and of course, paired with three delectable wines plus an added glass of Sauternes, chosen by our sommelier, Alex Bardsley for this “Fromage Extraordinaire” event!

Please join us on April 14th at 6:30pm as Pinto Naravane of Rasa Vineyards intoduces us to to five of the family’s wines paired with Chef Jacques’ six-course dinner menu. Getting bitten by the wine bug can change your life, or at least your career plans. Born in India and raised in New Jersey, brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane became fascinated by wine early, but continued to work in the computer industry for many years. Then Billo decided to study viticulture and enology at UC Davis. The Naravanes founded Rasa Vineyards in Walla Walla in 2007, the name coming from a Sanskrit word meaning “essence” and “juice”, to indicate their focus on producing terroir-driven, site-expressive wines.

Please join us on Thursday, April 21st at 7:00pm for the first of two special evenings of Parisian music, a classically inspired six-course menu and three sommelier paired French wines. We welcome back from France, Jacques Pellarin and his lovely wife and lifelong “muse”, Corrine. Jacques Pellarin has brought the sounds of the French country side to all corners of the globe, sharing his French cinema inspired accordion compositions. “We are thrilled and honored to host Jacques Pellarin & Co. as we celebrate our milestone anniversary with musique et cuisine” says Chef Jacques.

Please join us during our “40th Anniversary in Great Falls” week with Chef Jacques “Celebrating the Classics” cooking demonstration and luncheon. A sure to be lively event, chock full of anecdotes, history and lore of Papa and Mama’s move to the “country” to open their dream “L’Auberge”. Enjoy Chef’s specially chosen five-course classic French menu with wine pairings selected by Paul Haeringer. An event not to be missed, as we continue our week-long anniversary special culinary celebrations!

Continuing our 40th anniversary week culinary celebrations, please join us on Friday, April 22nd at 7:00pm for the second evening of Parisian music with Jacques Pellarin & Co. Jacques plays the accordion while his wife, Corrine, sings the vocals. Chef Jacques has a special fondness for the accordion, as he too learned the accordion at a very young age, and enjoys reliving the lively and popular music and sounds of France. French magazine “Le Progres” says: “They bring back almost a century of the traditional French ‘chansons’ from artists like Edith Piaf, Yves Montand and Francis Lemarques. With just voice and accordion, Jacques Pellarin & Co. captivates audiences and transports them to the dance halls and street side cafes of France’s yesteryears!

A Tribute to Papa Haeringer – Celebrating 40 Years in Great Falls, Virginia

Please join Chef Jacques and Paul Haeringer and the entire team of L’Auberge Chez François in celebrating our fortieth anniversary in our Great Falls, VA. location. This year also marks a total of 62 years for the Family in both locations, including the original “Chez François” in downtown Washington, DC. During this special evening, you will watch a video history that was a labor of love, spearheaded and produced by my cousin, and Papa’s nephew and namesake, François “Mano” Haubtmann. Over many years of smiles, edits and tears, it took some coaxing for Papa to complete, and we are grateful to Mano for his steadfastness in getting this to its final version as we hear Papa in “his own words” tonight.

Tune in on Tuesday, March 29th during the 10:00 hour as Chef Jacques joins Kathie Lee and Hoda on the TODAY show. The “It’s Easier than You Think” segment will feature our own bouillabaisse (medley of fresh fish and shellfish in saffron broth) recipe. He will also be making garlic croutons that would pair perfectly with the infamous L’Auberge Chez François herbed cottage cheese spread. Chef always enjoys visiting Kathie Lee and Hoda and can’t wait for you to cook his bouillabaisse at home!

Team Member of the Month

Mauricio Escobar has been working at L’Auberge Chez François since March 1994. He is a hard working, reliable sous chef who is always able to hold down most of the stations on the cook line. Mauricio’s quiet and calm demeanor helps him lead in the kitchen, and ensures that the restaurant is running efficiently and at its best. Thank you, Mauricio!

Monsieur François Compétition

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Erin B. of Reston, Virginia for winning the February Monsieur François’ Profile Embellishment Competition. Elizabeth and Erin will receive a $200 gift certificate to L’Auberge Chez François.

Be sure to follow L’Auberge Chez François on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for behind the scenes photos, specials, and more.